As co-President of Germain Hotels, Marie Pier Germain carries forward a family legacy rooted in Québec, whose pioneering vision helped establish Canada’s boutique-hotel concept.

With a recent $160-million investment fuelling coast-to-coast growth, the group celebrated a summer opening of Alt Hotel Ottawa Airport, and is preparing for other milestone projects including Le Germain Hotel at Casino de Montréal, and a landmark Vancouver property slated to open before the decade ends.

From a single boutique hotel in Québec City to 20 properties nationwide, Germain Hotels continues to grow under a vision where design, culture, and comfort shape the guest experience.

DS: Tell us about the Vancouver project.
MPG: Announcing Vancouver was thrilling. It’s a converted office building right by the convention centre, so location is unbeatable. Tenants are still moving out, and our architects are drawing plans, but finally being able to say we’re landing in Vancouver, it’s exciting.

DS: Location always comes first?
MPG: Absolutely. In the 1990s, we converted an old office into our Montréal property. Vancouver has a similar story. Location drives everything, and this one is perfect.

DS: How do you weave comfort into design?
MPG: Comfort has layers. It’s physical, emotional, even psychological. Guests should feel at home, but also experience something new. We want to push people just enough so they feel something, and want to come back because it felt good.

DS: How will the Montréal Casino project balance design with its park setting?
MPG: The site in Parc Jean-Drapeau is unique; nothing like this has been built since Expo 67. The architecture will emphasize big windows, lower heights, and sightlines to the park and casino. For Montréalers to stay inside the park itself will be fantastic.

DS: Which cities inspire you most for design and culture?
MPG: Every project brings its own cultural lens. In Vancouver, it’s the harbour view we want to capitalize on. The conversation is always, “Where do we put the bed? Which side?” That’s the design conversation. In Montréal, when we renovated our second-floor restaurant, we knew the challenge was convincing people to go upstairs. We used mirrors facing the street so passersby would catch reflections of tables. It’s about sparking curiosity. I love looking at design that way. It’s really something that motivates what we do.

DS: You also serve as Vice Chair of the Canada Council for the Arts. How does that influence your work?
MPG: Immensely. The Council showcases Canada’s cultural richness: French, Indigenous, northern, West Coast and the East Coast. Many people don’t know its reach, but it supports the best of what we have. That perspective influences how I see our hotels: each one is a cultural expression.

DS: What’s your best travel tip?
MPG: Mindset. I’m always go, go, go! I drive my husband crazy. But when I travel, I try to shift gears, slow down, and embrace the experience. That’s when the magic happens.